Valveless vacuum-operated fluid circulating device for cleaning hollow objects such as teat cups and milk tubes



May 6, 1952 Filed April 17, 1948 F. T. REDMAN, JR 2,595,539 VALVELESSVACUUM-OPERATED FLUID CIRCULATING DEVICE FOR CLEANING HOLLOW OBJECTSsucn AS TEAT CUPS AND MILK TUBES.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 INVENTOR Franklin T. Rcdmcn,Jr.

# ATTORNEY y 6, 1952 F. T. REDMAN, JR

VALVELESS VACUUM-OPERATED FLUID CIRCULATING DEVICE FOR CLEANING HOLLOWOBJECTS SUCH AS TEAT CUPS AND MILK TUBES 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed April 17,1948 .I 3 c w F w I m j H 3 Tu J m m .A\ r n: lllll II F IIIIIIII III1||V||||..||||||llsilllrllll nflwwm l q d m: i m "w" J. r|||.r |l m l 2m Luv-arr 1 x2 2 x 3 III a w L w 6 1| V W 5 INVENTOR Franklin T. Redmun,Jr.

BY MaATTORNEY Patented May 6, 1952 OFFICE VALVELESS VACUUM-OPERATEDFLUID CIRCULATING DEVICE FOR CLEANING HOLLOW OBJECTS SUCH AS TEAT CUPSAND MILK TUBES Franklin '1. Redman, Jr., Pitcairn, Pa., assignor to HallLaboratories, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication April17, 1948, Serial No.21,716

8 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for effecting re-circulation of fluidsand more particularlyto devices that operate on suction or' vacuum. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a device which may be coupled tothe vacuum systernsv such, for example, as provided for milkingmachines, whereby .teat cups and milk hose of milking machines may becleaned by the circulation of a detergent solution through the cupsan'dthe milk'hose, the circulation being efi'ected without theemployment of valves or other complicating elements in the device.

An. object of this invention is to provide an automatic re-circulatingdevice that is operable from the suction or vacuum of a vacuum systemand is entirely automatic in its operation, and which does not requireany valves or other moving parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is operablefrom the vacuum system of a milking machine installation, for example,to intermittently draw a detergent solution from a receptacle throughthe parts to be .cleansed, and thence into the device from which thesolution is I intermittently returned to the receptacle, all without theemployment of valves or other movingparts, to effect the desiredresults.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter referred to, that shall include a vacuum chamber provided withan exhauster adapted for connection to a vacuum system, an intake pipeto which the parts to be cleansed may be connected, and through whichthe cleansing solution is drawn from a storage vessel through the partsto be cleansed into the vacuum chamber, and a discharge or return pipeleading from the chamber to the vessel, whereby when the solution levelin the vessel falls below the inlet to the parts to be cleansed, airflows into the vacuum chamber to break the vacuum, causing the solutionto discharge therefrom to the storage vessel. As soon as the inlet tothe parts to be cleansed are covered with solution, the drawing ofsolution into the vacuum chamber through the parts to be cleansed isrepeated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the exhauster,ofthe device referred to in the next preceding paragraph, with meanswhereby the rate of evacuation of the vacuum chamber may be decreasedwith respect to the rateat which'the'vacuum chamber is voided ofsolution after the vacuum therein is broken.

vAnother object of the invention is toprovide .2 a vacuum operateddevice of the character referredto abovethat is simple in constructionand particularly suited to being maintained in .a sanitary condition andeasily and readily inspected.

Other objects of the invention will, in part. be apparent, andwill,.in.part, be obvious fromthe following description-taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a general organization view, partly in section,=showing avacuum line, a milking machine, and a fluid re-circulating devicearranged and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention, .the view illustrating how the-device iszapplied to thecleaning of the teat cups and milk hose;

Fig. 2 is a view infront elevation, partly in section, of thecirculatingdevice shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3'isa view in side'elevation of the circu lating device;

Fig. 4 is a view in section taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2, the vacuumchamber of the device .being omitted; and

.Fig.15=is.a fragmentary view, in section,.of the upper portion of theexhauster pipe of the recirculating device, the pipe being provided:with

a replaceableorifice for the regulation of the rate of evacuation ofthevacuum chamber with respect-to the'rate'at which the vacuum isdestroyed by incoming air when the vacuum on the intake pipe isbroken.

Throughout the drawings and the specification, like reference charactersindicate like parts.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings numeral l designates the vacuum operatedre-circulating device at.- ranged and constructed in accordance withwhat now appears to be a preferred form of the invention. The device isshown connected through ami-lk pail 2 to a vacuum line 3 and to teatcups 4 .which are suspended in a container 5 having a quantityofdetergent solution 6 therein.

Theparticular milking machine illustrated in the drawings is one inwhich the milk pail is provided with .apulsator 1 and whoseiunction itis tovalternately apply suction and atmospheric pressure tothespace-betweenthe shell of the teat cupsandrubber cups (not. shown)within the saine,.,all.as is well understood in thisart.Theparticulardetail .of construction of the teat cups and. the .pulsatorbeing well known in this art, they need not bedescribed or illustratedin detail. The milk hose for the teat cups isindicated by numeral 9.

If theiteatcups are connected to the milk pail and the machine used formilking, milk hose 9 is connected to fitting ID on milk pail 2.

Device comprises a container or vacuum chamber H which is preferablymade of glass. having its mouth at the bottom of the vessel and restingon a ring gasket l2. The mouth of chamber is closed by a cover plate I3which is nested within a socket M of a supporting bracket |5. Thesupporting bracket I5 is provided with a bail l8 which may be hinged tothe supporting bracket by means of drive screws IT. The bail is of suchlength that it can be passed or looped over the top of the vacuumchamber or container The top of bail l6 carries a clamping pad l8 formedwith a loop |9 that serves to retain the clamping pad on the bail. Theclamping pad as shown is crowned, that is, it has a spherical or convexsurface formed with a locking groove at its uppermost point, so thatwhen the bail is swung into place and sprung into the locking groove,pad l8 exerts sufi'icient pressure on vessel II to form a pressure tightjoint between the mouth of the vessel, gasket I2, and cover plate l3.When a vacuum has been established-in chamber or vessel II, theatmospheric pressure acting on the exterior of the vessel will tend tohold it tightly on its gasket l2.

An exhauster or vacuum pipe 2| and an intake pipe 22 extend upwardlythrough the cover plate l3. It is preferred to form a bend 23 in theupper end of intake pipe 22 so that fluid issuing out of it will bedirected against the wall of vessel I thereby preventing or minimizingthe amount of carry over of solution vapor in the space near the top ofthe vessel into the exhauster pipe 2|. Plate I3 is also provided with adrain pipe 24 that projects only a short distance above plate l3. Thelower end of intake pipe 22 is preferably formed with a hose fitting 22'having steps or notches therein, the better to grip a hose that isattached thereto.

The inlet end of exhauster 2| is provided with a plug 2| having a smallorifice or passageway 2|a therein. The plug conveniently is threadedinto the end of the exhauster pipe so that it may be removed andreplaced by a plug having a different size of orifice if that isnecessary when used on a particular vacuum system.

Some vacuum systems, particularly those having large vacuum pumpcapacities, have so much vacuum or exhausting capacity compared to thevolume of the space in container N, that the vacuum might not be brokenlong enough therein to allow sufficient detergent solution to dischargetherefrom before the vacuum is re-established to effect satisfactorywashing of the parts to be cleansed. By utilizing an orifice plug 2|having a proper size of orifice or passageway 2 la, the exhausting ofair through the exhauster may be delayed, thus allowing a greater volumeof solution to be drawn into and discharged from the vacuum chamber Thesize of orifice or passageway 2|a may vary. For the usual milkingmachine system, I have found that an orifice having a diameter of issatisfactory. The size of this orifice may vary over a range determinedby the capacity of the vacuum pump of the system. In general, the largerthe vacuum pump capacity, the smaller the orifice should be. For asystem having a pump with sufiicient capacity to operate say up to 4.milking machines, an orifice of about to in diameter is satisfactorywhen the capacity of chamber H is about one gallon.

In the operation of the device, the bottom of suction tube 2| isconnected by a hose 26 to the milk valve fitting It] on pail 2, the milkhose ,9 is connected to hose fitting 22 and a hose 25 is connected todrain pipe 24. The open end of hose 25 is placed in pail or container 5well down into the body of liquid or solution therein. The teat cups 4are suspended in the container 5 at such a height with respect to thenormal level of the solution that the open ends of these cups extendwell down into the solution but at a distance above the lowermost end oftube 25.

When valve I0 is opened so as to connect hose 26 to the suction orvacuum of the vacuum line 3, air is withdrawn from vessel throughexhauster 2| causing solution to be sucked up through the teat cups,milk hose 9, and intake pipe 22 into chamber The solution will continueto flow through pipe 22 until the level of the liquid in container 5 hasbeen lowered to a point below the open ends of the teat cups, forexample, to a level such as indicated at Y.

When the open ends of the teat cups are exposed, air fiows up throughthese cups into container destroys the vacuum or partial vacuum thereinand establishes a pressure within it which is substantially atmospheric.When this occurs, the solution which has accumulated in vessel II willdischarge through drain pipe 24 and hose 25 into container 5. It willcontinue to discharge until the level of the fiuid or solution in thecontainer is above the open ends of the teat cups, and when the solutionlevel has become sufficiently high, solution again will flow through theteat cups into vessel and the above described operation will berepeated. The above described operation will continue indefinitely untilthe vacuum is disconnected from chamber H by closing valve ID.

The orifice in plug 2|a regulates the time required to re-establish thevacuum in chamber II to a value sufficient to effect flow of solutionfrom vessel 5 into chamber Until this degree of vacuum has beenestablished, the solution will continue to flow into vessel 5. Thus, itis ap-.

' parent the size of the orifice 2|a will determine the height or levelof liquid above the open end of the teat cups once the device is inoperation.

I have found that the recirculating device appears to function moreefiiciently when the inside diameters of the drain pipe 24 and hose 25are larger than the inside diameters of the intake pipe 22 and thepassageway of the milk hose 9. Thus in Fig. 4, the diameter of drainpipe 25 is shown to b larger than that of the intake pipe 22. Thediameter of suction pipe 2| is shown as being the same as that of pipe22, but it is not essential that the diameters of these pipes be equal.

While I have shown the teat cups and the circulating device connected toa milk pail and to a vacuum system, it is not essential that this bedone. For example, tube 26 could be connected directly to the vacuumline 3 and the milk tube or hose 9 connected to pipe 22 as shown in thedrawing. When 50 connected, the device would operate as described above.

It is preferred, however, to connect the device as shown in Fig. 1,because if any solution is carried over as vapor into pipe 2|, thatsolution would be collected in the milk pail and not be drawn into thevacuum system. In other words. the pail acts as a trap.

The connections as shown in Fig. 1 to the type of milking machin thereindisclosed is preferred also because all that need be done to clean theteat cups and the milk hose is to disconnect the milk hose 9 from valvel9 and reconnect it to pipe 22, and then connect pipe 2| to valve is byan extra hose which is provided for the purpose, viz., hose 26.

In Figs. 2, 3, and i, the constrution oi the vacuum circulating device Iis shown more in detail. The construction of the cover plate [3 and thearrangements of th tubes or pipes 2 i, 22, and 2d are particularly shownin these views.

The suction device illustrated may be mounted by means of its bracket ina permanent position in a dairy where it may be readily inspected andreadily taken apart for cleaning. Since the device has no valves ormoving parts, it is easy to keep clean. The vacuum chamber or vessel maybe made of glass, which also makes it easy to inspect the same for soil,and in addition cleaning and sterilizing thereof is facilitated.

The cover plate 53 and the tube assembly, viz., the tubes or pipes 2 i,22, and 2:! may be removed from the supporting bracket and thoroughlycleaned and sterilized whenever it is necessary without much trouble orinconvenience.

The circulating device illustrated herein is simple in construction, isideally suited to being maintained in a sanitary condition, is readilyinspectable, and contains only few simple parts.

The device is fully automatic and once put in operation will continue tooperate without attention as there are no valves in the device tomanipulate.

From the foregoing description and the drawings accompanying thespecification, it will be apparent to thos skilled in the art thatvarious modifications and changes may be made in the details andarrangements of parts without'departing either from the spirit or thescope of the invention. Therefore, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

l. A device for recirculating solutions com-- prising a pressure tightcontainer having an exhauster pipe extending into the same to whichsuction is continuously applied while the device is in operation, anintake pipe extending into said container and terminating therein at alevel below the terminal level of said exhauster pipe but above thelevel to which liquid rises in said container, said intake pipe beingadapted to conduct a solution in response to suction applied to saidexhauster pipe and discharge the same into said container, a tube havingone end connected to said intake pipe, the other end thereof being open,a drain outlet for said container, and a tube having one end connectedto said drain outlet, the other end being open, said device when mountedat an elevation such that the drain and intake tubes hang free with theopen ends thereof immersed in a body of solution whose volume isapproximately that of the pressure-tight chamher, and with the open endof the drain tube below the open end of the intake pipe tube, andsuction is applied to said exhauster pipe, causing solution to flow upsaid tube and intake pipe into said container until the solution levelof said body falls below the open end of the intake pipe tube inresponse to which air enters said container and breaks the vacuumtherein, whereupon solution in said container discharges through thedrain tube into said body of solution, and when the level of said bodyrises above the open end of said intake pipe tube, the solution is againdrawn into said container only to return to the solution body when thevacuum in the container is broken as aforesaid.

2. A recirculating unit according to claim 1 characterized by the factthat said unit comprises a container having an open bottom, a coverplate for said open bottom, a support bracket having an annular flangefor receiving said cover plate, the exhauster, drain, and intake pipesextending through said plate and being formed as a unitary assemblytherewith, a gasket between the open end of said vessel and said plate,and a clamping bail pivotally mounted on said bracket and being arrangedto loop over the upper end of said vessel and clamp the open end thereoftightly on said gasket at its open end.

3. A recirculating unit according to claim 1 characterized by the factthat said unit comprises a vessel having an open bottom, a supportbracket having an annular flange for receiving a cover plate for theopen end of said vessel, the exhauster, drain, and intake pipesextending through said plate and being formed as a unitary assemblytherewith, the diameter of the drain pipe being larger than the diameterof the intake pipe, a gasket between the open end of said vessel andsaid plate, and a clamping bail pivotally mounted on said bracket andbeing arranged to loop over the upper end of said vessel and clamp thesame tightly on said gasket at its open end.

4. A unit according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that theexhauster pipe is provided with an orifice for retarding the rate ofevacuation of said container with respect to the rate at which solutiondischarges therefrom in response to the breaking of vacuum therein.

5. The combination of a receptacle having a quantity of liquid therein,with a device for effecting circulation of said solution through hollowobjects to be cleansed and returning the solution to said receptacle forrecirculation through said objects, said device comprising a pressuretight container mounted at an elevation higher than the solutionreceptacle, the volume of said container being approximately equal tothe volume of said liquid, an exhauster pipe extending into saidcontainer and having its open end terminating near the top thereof, anintake pipe extending into said container, a hollow object to becleansed having one end connected to said intake pipe and its other endsubmerged in the solution in said receptacle, a drain pipe for saidcontainer, and a tube having one end connected to said drain pipe andits other end submerged in the solution of said receptacle to a greaterdepth than the submerged end of said hollow object, said combinationbeing characterized in operation by the fact that vacuum in saidcontainer causes solution to flow from the receptacle through the hollowobject into said container until the submerged end of said hollow objectis exposed to atmosphere allowing air to enter the container whereuponthe vacuum breaks and the solution therein returns through the draintube to the receptacle until the end of the hollow object in thereceptacle is again submerged at which time vacuum in the containeragain causes solution to flow through the hollow object into the sameuntil the open end of said hollow object is again exposed to atmosphereand the solution is again returned to the receptacle and so on as longas the vacuum is maintained in the vessel and a sufficient quantity ofsolution is provided in the receptacle.

6. A combination according to claim 5 characterized by the fact that theexhauster pipe is provided with an orifice for retarding the evacuationof said container in relation to the rate at which solution dischargestherefrom in response to the breaking of vacuum therein.

7. A combination according to claim 5 characterized by the fact that thediameter of the drain pipe is greater than the diameter of the intakepipe.

8. A combination according to claim 5 characterized by the fact that therespective diameters of the drain pipe and tube connected thereto aregreater than the respective diameters of the intake pipe and the flowpassage of said hollow object.

FRANKLIN T. REDMAN, J R.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the file or"this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS

